The initial visibility of updated recommendations on preseason heat safety in high school athletics among United States athletic trainers

Updated recommendations on preseason heat safety in high school (HS) athletics (“2021 Consensus Statements”) were published in April 2021. This cross-sectional survey study explored the initial roll-out of the 2021 Consensus Statements, including their visibility among United States HS athletic trainers (ATs) and perceived levels of confidence in implementing them. Recruitment occurred first, from a random selection of ATs from the Board of Certification, Inc., and second, an open invitation via social media. An online cross-sectional questionnaire had participating ATs note whether they had seen the 2021 Consensus Statements. If yes, ATs reported their perceived level of confidence in implementing them (5-point-ordinal scale from “not at all confident” to “very confident); if no, ATs disclosed (open-ended) why they had not yet seen them. Descriptive statistics were calculated for quantitative variables; template analysis identified codes related to visibility of and confidence in implementing 2021 Consensus Statements. Nearly half (45.7%) of 116 responding HS ATs reported having seen at least one 2021 Consensus Statements; 23.3% had reviewed all three. Common reasons among the 63 that had not seen them included: not aware they were published (n = 22), have yet to read them (n = 19), and believed they could not access the journal (n = 10). Of the 53 ATs having seen at least one of the 2021 Consensus Statements, 67.9% (n = 36) were very/fairly confident in implementing them at their HS. Reasons for confidence included their schools ensuring up-to-date EHI prevention and management practices (n = 18) and athletics constituent support (n = 8). This exploratory study observed proportions of surveyed HS ATs that had not seen the 2021 Consensus Statements and were not confident in implementing them. Findings highlight the need to continue improving messaging about access to best-practice recommendations. Further, continued efforts inclusive of active and passive dissemination strategies across all athletics constituents are needed to aid proper implementation

Sport culture and communication among middle school athletes, parents, and staff: A qualitative study

Middle school (MS) is an intermediary level of education between elementary and secondary school that typically includes students aged 10–15 years. There is limited research within the MS sport setting, particularly related to sport-related injury prevention. This qualitative study aimed to better understand the sport culture within MS sports and the communication strategies used among invested groups (i.e., athletes, parents, staff inclusive of coaches and school nurses). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 athletes, 20 parents, and 18 staff (e.g., coaches, school nurses) from seven MS in two school districts during the 2018/19 and 2019/20 school years. Topics focused on understanding school- and sport-related factors related to education, safety, and communication. Analysis used a consensual qualitative research tradition, in which the research team discussed individually developed themes and categories from transcribed interviews, with the goal of coming to a consensus and creating a codebook. Throughout the coding process, the research team would reconvene to discuss coding decisions until consensus was reached. This study focuses on the themes of sport culture and communication. Dominant categories identified within sport culture related to participants noting why they were interested in MS sports, and their struggles with their perceived roles and engagement (e.g., helping parents stay engaged, finding coaches, oversight of school nurses). Competitiveness and safety could have conflicting roles and priority. Dominant categories identified within communication centered around limited communication between coaches and parents. Technological assistance (e.g., phone apps, websites) was available, but often varied by school and sport. Concussions were seldom discussed unless during the preseason meeting or when one occurred. Findings highlight that the MS sport settings may struggle with incorporating primary prevention into their cultures and ensuring reliable communication among individuals. Novel and tailored approaches to injury prevention are needed to help ensure buy-in and proper implementation